


The Awkward Turtleduck and his Band of Misfits

by JustWatchMe



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, D R A G O N S, Gen, How Do I Tag, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Iroh approves, Little Zuko - Freeform, Misunderstandings, Ozai’s A+ Parenting, Recovery, Supportive Iroh, Trauma, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zuko was never trying to capture Aang, Zuko’s trying his best, banished zuko, basically a what if Zuko just said ‘Fuck you’ to Ozai, for a while, his crew loves him, hold on this is going to be a bumpy ride, honestly fuck him, the Agni Kai happened 2 years earlier then in canon, they are v protective of their smol angry captain
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-26
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-01-04 01:01:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21188936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustWatchMe/pseuds/JustWatchMe
Summary: The Agni Kai happened 2 years earlier than in canon. After fighting for his life from his wounds, Zuko wakes up miles away from home with an impossible mission and a ragtag crew of the worst soldiers in the navy. He sees this and decides he doesn’t want to please a father that would do this to him, so he ignores his quest. Banished and without purpose, things aren’t looking good for the once prince of the Fire Nation. But hey, at least he has his uncle with him.*Basically, a story where Zuko realizes he’s been abused a lot earlier and says ‘Fuck you’ to Ozai and his quest. He decides that we wants to stop the war instead and he and his crew begin to fight the Fire Nation. When they find the Avatar, Zuko is overjoyed. The only problem is Aang is under the impression Zuko’s trying to capture him.





	1. Prologue

Waves splashed gently against the ship’s hull. The sky was overcast with clouds and a breeze skimmed over the ocean's surface. If one looked to the west, they could see land moving further and further away. Workers rushed across the deck, speaking in hurried whispers. Every movement was kept as silent as possible, as if the crew was anxiously waiting for something.

At first glance, the crew moved seamlessly together, years of sea experience coming to light. However, the longer you watch the easier it is to see their struggles communicating. Hands carried out jobs that had been done hundreds of times before as if they were being done for the first time. This was the crews first day together. 

Hushed conversations carried themselves across the deck.

“The prince, yes.”

“The Firelord is the one who-”

“I can’t believe-”

“His own son!”

“-only 11. That’s younger than my kids, I-”

“His uncle is with him now.”

“Yeah, he hasn’t left the room-”

“They’re not sure he’s going to make it.”

The subject of all these conversations was residing in a room below deck. He was a young boy of the age 11. His body was dripping with sweat from a fever. A thick bandage stretched around his head and covered his left eye and ear. His black hair was shaved away from the wound in haphazard way. 

The lighting in the room was dim, coming from only a few candles in the corner. They flickered and cast shadows across the boys face, which was twisted in pain.

There was one other occupant in the room. He sat at the boys side, grey hair unkempt and framing his face. Silent tears rolled down his face as he gripped the boy’s hand tightly. 

The man hadn’t moved for hours, and he vowed to himself not to leave the room until the boy woke up. He would sit there until the fever and infection stopped wracking through the boy’s body. The first face the boy would see when he woke would be his, smiling down at him. 

The man squeezed the boy’s hand firmly and promised to never leave him alone again.


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the shortness of the first few chapters, they will get longer I promise. If you notice any mistakes or think there’s anything I should change, please tell me! This is my first story and I’m always open to (constructive) criticism. Thank you for reading!

Iroh woke as the sun shone through the porthole, blinking slowly to rid the crust from his eyes. He stayed where he was for a moment, letting his mind and body come alive before sitting up. He groaned as his back protested the movement.

_ ‘Not as young as I used to be,’ _he thought. 

Once he had reached a proper state of wakefulness, Iroh rose from his seat. He ambled over to his tea set that was currently placed in here until further notice. He hummed a cheery tune to himself as he poured two cups of ginseng. He walked over to his chair and sat down. He set one cup on the bedside table and held the other in his hands, blowing softly to cool it off. 

He sat in silence, feeling nothing but the gentle swaying of the ship. He could hear the soft footsteps and quiet murmurs coming from the crew on deck above him. Iroh sipped his tea as he shifted his gaze to the bed in front of him. 

The door opened as he was adjusting the blankets covering the small figure. Iroh looked up and his face stretched into a wide smile.

“Doctor Osamu! How are you this fine morning?” Iroh said, placing his tea next to the other cup. 

The doctor returned his greeting cheerfully as he set his supplies down on the desk. He carefully shifted the tea set out of the way to make room. Once he’d finished setting up, Osamu turned to face Iroh.

“I’m doing quite alright, Sir, thank you for asking.” He picked up some bandages and cleaning supplies, walking over to the bed. “And how’s our patient doing today?”

Iroh sighed, his eyes wandering over the unconscious body laying before them. “No change from yesterday that I can see. I think his fever has gone down a little, but not much. Unfortunately, my nephew still shows no signs of waking.”

Osamu hummed in acknowledgment as he unwrapped the bandages around Zuko’s head with well practiced movements.

Harsh as Ozai may be, he wasn’t an idiot. He knew that if he sent this ragtag crew out overseas without a medic, they’d be dead in a month, especially considering the parting gift he gave Zuko. The only decent thing he did towards the entire situation was grant them one of the palaces finest doctors to accompany them. It was a way to save face with the nation, so Ozai could say that he didn’t send an eleven year old boy out completely unprotected.

It might’ve all been for nothing though, if Zuko was taken from fever a week into their journey. 

Iroh’s mouth tightened as he thought of his brother. He’d always know that Ozai could be power hungry and cruel, but this was a whole new level that Iroh had thought not even his brother would be capable of. 

(though, with the circumstances under which Ozai became Fire Lord, Iroh really shouldn’t be surprised) 

He sipped his tea, watching as Osamu looked over the wound on his nephews face. The doctor hummed a quiet tune as he concentrated, not letting anything pull his eyes away from his work. Soon, Osamu was spreading burn cream onto Zuko’s eye and wrapping fresh bandages around his head. 

(you can say what you want about the Fire Nation, but their proficiency in dealing with burns is nothing to scoff at)

Iroh adjusted the bedding covering Zuko while Osamu packed up his things. As he was about to walk out the door, Iroh spoke up.

“How are things up on deck? Is the crew getting on okay?” His gaze never strayed from his nephew. 

There was a brief moment of silence behind him, before Osamu turned back to face Iroh.

“They’re all fine, sir. A bit confused and curious, but it’s not affecting their abilities to work the ship.” 

“I’m not concerned about that.” And he wasn’t. Iroh knew that the crew would be more than alright in dealing with the workings of the steamer they were on. All of them were members of the Fire Nation Navy that Iroh selected himself. He trusted them to do their jobs without complaint. No, he was worried about their interactions with each other. After all, there was a reason the crew members he had chosen were all from lower ranking vessels. 

“I mean, are they interacting with each other okay? I know most of them are very opinionated.” There was a reason for all of their demotions, after all. 

Osamu hesitated for a second, then answered. “Tensions have been high. We are new to each other, and lots of them don’t know the situation or why we’re here. Not to mention…” he trailed off. 

Iroh raised an eyebrow. “Not to mention what?”

Osamu shook his head. “It’s nothing, sir.”

“No, no. Permission to speak freely, doctor,” Iroh insisted. 

The aging doctor looked as if he was about to protest further, but his words dissipated under the determined look in Iroh’s eyes. “It’s only that barely anyone has seen you, sir. You never come out for meals or to get some fresh air, and you haven’t spoken to anyone but me.” Osamu closed his mouth, looking as if he was about to be reprimanded. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, uncomfortable. 

Iroh ignored Osamu’s worry and sifted through the thoughts swirling through his mind. He supposed the doctor had a point. Iroh had been holed up in this room for a little over a week. He supposed it couldn’t hurt to go out and interact with the rest of the crew. If nothing else, Iroh thought, he could use a bath. 

Having made his decision, Iroh hauled himself out of his chair. He leaned down and smoothed Zuko’s hair away from his sweat-covered forehead. He hesitated for a brief second, unwilling to leave his nephew’s side, before resolutely walking towards the door. 

Osamu stared at him, unsure of what was going through his brain. He startled when Iroh smiled at him, gesturing to the door in a way that could only mean “after you.” Not wanting to push his luck, Osamu hurried through the narrow opening. Iroh checked on Zuko once more, then followed the doctor down the hall.

Iroh would show himself to the crew, for moral if nothing else. He needed to make sure that everything was running smoothly and prepared for his nephews command. The crew needed to know who would be in charge and the way the ship was going to be run. Not to mention the way they treated Zuko himself. Iroh was kind and forgiving, but he was also the Dragon of the West, and anyone who hurt his charge would be burned. The crew would grow to learn that very important fact. 

Iroh’s stomach chose that moment to remind him that it had, in fact, been a while since he’d eaten, and if he were to go remedy that it would be very welcome, please and thank you. The Dragon of the West changed course, the pleasant look on his face not wavering. 

First stop: the mess hall.

(those poor soldiers had no idea what was about to hit them) 

  



	3. Wake Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Sorry for the long wait, I’ve been really busy. I’m hoping to be a lot more consistent with my updates in the future but it might take me a while to work out. Until then, thanks for being patient and I hope you enjoy the chapter!!

Up on the deck of the Wani, things were still and silent. The only noises made were from the shifting of the couple guards on duty. 

Tamuki stifled a yawn as he stood guard in front of the door. He’d never understood why ships required guards, considering they were out in the middle of the ocean, but he decided it wasn’t worth the risk to ask or complain. 

He shivered, wishing his armour provided more protection from the cool sea breezes washing over the deck. Tamuki thought longingly of the mess hall, all warm and bright. Not to mention the food. Though he’d only been on the Wani for a little while, he knew the cooks food was nothing to turn up your nose at. Just a little longer, and he could head there for some dinner and climb into his warm bed. He sighed at the thought.

The minutes passed like they were trudging through deep mud carrying bags of sand. Tamuki’s eyes drooped, heavy with the weight of a slow day. He wrestled them open again and again, not wanting to get caught sleeping on duty.

(the fact that Tamuki’s guard mate was openly asleep and snoring was lost on Tamuki in his fight for wakefulness)

Just as his eyes slipped closed once again, a hand tapped his shoulder gently. Startled, Tamuki whirled around and almost hit someone with a flaming fist.

“Tamuki, calm down! It’s just me!”

Eyes adjusting, Tamuki was able to see Atsuini covering his face, the lantern he was holding rolling across the floor. Though he was satisfied that it wasn’t an intruder, Tamuki still wasn’t sure that he should let his guard down. Just the other day, Atsuini had punched him in the face just because Tamuki had accidently bumped into him. Luckily for Tamuki, it looked like Atsuini had no intention of starting a fight.

“What?” Tamuki croaked out.

Atsuini watched him warily, but uncovered his face when no further flames appeared. 

“You’re shifts over,” he said, bending down to pick up his lantern. “You can go get something to eat and then get some rest.” Atsuini looked him up and down. “You need it.”

Too tired and grateful to be riled up, Tamuki simply allowed Atsuini to take over and hurried inside with stumbling feet.

(the other guard snorted, and kept sleeping away)

Tamuki was surprised to see so many people still in the mess hall when he arrived. Dinner had been hours ago, but he supposed that this _ was _ the best place to hang out and talk. He weaved through the tables and snatched a plate of food that had been left specifically for the night guards. Tamuki glanced around the mess hall, unsure of where to sit. He spotted Jee in the back and decided to head over his way. They weren’t _ friends _per say, but they had hailed from the same previous assignment before General Iroh had had them moved to this one. 

Jee barely spared him a glance before going back to what was in his hands. Tamuki saw it was a letter–from his family, he assumed. Deciding it wasn’t his business or worth his time, Tamuki dug into his food enthusiastically. The conversations filling the room faded into a background murmuring that was soothing to his ears. 

For a few minutes, Tamuki focused on nothing but the meal on his plate. When the voices behind him faded away into silence, he looked up, curious as to what could make thirty sailors be quiet. And standing in the doorway was one of two people that no one(save one person) on the ship had seen all week. 

General Iroh was the one who’d brought them all together. It was true that they were one good terms with him, and that’s why Iroh had selected them, but it’s also true that the only reason Iroh was permitted to take the crew of his choice was because they were all a collection of the worst the navy had to offer. Not in morals and upbringing, but in being good soldiers. They knew this, and yet no one had explained _ why _the only crew Iroh could have was a band of misfits. Their main guess came from Prince Zuko’s current condition. 

General Iroh looked more tired than Tamuki remembered ever seeing him as. He stood firm and tall, but it seemed as if there was a weight pressing down on his shoulders. The pleasant smile that usually adorned his face was still there, but it seemed more forced than normal. Everything about his clothes, from his shoes to his hair, was impeccably done in a way only a member of the royal family could achieve. 

The crew’s eyes followed his path across the mess hall to the kitchen. This was the first time they’d seen him since he went into the room holding his nephew. One guy dropped the apple he had been holding onto another crew members head. 

Conversations slowly began again when Iroh did nothing but walk into the kitchen. Tamuki returned to his meal, ravenous pace slowed as he remembered the mysterious circumstances they were here under. 

“Guess he decided to come out and see what was happening.”

Tamuki looked up at the voice. Jee was obviously the one who’d spoken, there was no one else around. Yet he was still staring at his letter. Tamuki didn’t know if he was waiting for a response or not, but he thought he should say something just in case.

“Yeah.”

(woooooooooowwwwwww, so insightful and contributing)

Jee hummed, which could have meant: “I totally agree with whatever you just said,” or “Wtf, dude, I wasn’t speaking to you stfu,” or “I wasn’t paying attention to anything you just said, I just wanted to hum a pretty song but I only know one note.” Tamuki hoped it was more of the first option than anything else.

Iroh emerged from the kitchen carrying a plate of food. He started to head their way, which made Tamuki nervous. Not because he didn’t like the general, he just didn’t know if he’d done anything that warranted the Dragon of the West’s attention. Then he remembered who he was sitting across from and relaxed. Iroh was obviously coming to talk to Jee, who was acting captain of the Wani for the time being. Tamuki wiped the sweat on his hands off onto his pants, feeling foolish. 

Iroh slid onto the bench next to Jee. They exchanged quick greetings before continuing their own activities. Iroh started working his way through the food on his plate, and Jee traded his letter for blank paper and a writing brush. Tamuki couldn’t help but stare for a moment, before whipping his head down once he realized what he’d been doing.

Tamuki couldn’t speak for General Iroh or Jee’s thoughts on the matter, but the next few minutes were some of the most awkward ones in his entire life. He kept glancing at Iroh, curious and nervous at the same time. 

He quickly recognised the faces of people with something to say but couldn’t say in present company. Not wanting to intrude or delay their conversations any further, he scarfed down the rest of his dinner and left the table. He was tired and wanted to go to bed anyway.

He walked out of the mess hall and turned in the direction of the room he shared with five other crew members. Tamuki wondered what Iroh had wanted to speak to Jee about. 

(back in the mess hall, Jee handed Iroh his response to the general’s letter that he’d just been reading–the dates for music night had been chosen)

When Tamuki turned the corner, he heard strange noises coming from further down the ship. His footsteps slowed, and he wondered if an animal had accidently stowed away. The sound of something hitting the wall reached his ears. Tamuki fell into a fire bending position just in case as he crept further down the hallway. 

(Tamuki would look back on this moment and laugh later, but he didn’t feel like laughing now)

He wondered if he should grab back up before going to face whatever weird creature that laid up ahead. Tamuki actually paused to consider that thought and almost turned around. On one hand, if the thing turned out to be really dangerous, he would have someone with him to help. On the other hand, if it turned out it was just a helmet or something, Tamuki would be really embarrassed that he was freaking out over nothing. Not to mention the fact that sound carried really well in the lower levels of the Wani. If he did end up needing help, he would just scream.

Having made up his mind, Tamuki continued to make his way forward. Bending at the ready, he turned the corner. His eyes instantly found the source of the weird noises. For the second time that day, he was shocked into silence. Tamuki couldn’t believe it.

“Prince Zuko?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the lack of Zuko and limited Iroh in this chapter. Also, expect to see a lot of Tamuki in the future. Please comment if you think there’s anything I should change or add or if you see any mistakes. If you have a suggestion for plot or characters in future chapters, let me know because I’ve already gotten a few ideas from comments that are being worked into the story. Thanks for reading!!! <3


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So so so sorry for the long wait, I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint you. Thank you all so much for the kind comments and support!!! Hope you enjoy the chapter!

Iroh was extremely comfortable in the mess hall. Yes, he was aware that everyone was staring at him and he could hear half of the whispered conversations around him(which were all discussing his sudden appearance, of course), but years as the crown prince and then a general had taught him how to deal with people staring at him. So he wasn’t particularly bothered. He was enjoying his dinner(which was quite delicious, he’d have to send his compliments to the chef later) and he’d forgotten how nice it was to be around people.

He placed his silverware on his plate after finishing his meal, before pushing it away with a gentle shove. Jee, who was acting like it was perfectly normal that a prince was sitting next to him, had moved on to actually writing a letter to his family now that they had dealt with the more pressing issues onboard the ship. 

Jee set his writing tools down when he noticed Iroh watching him. He turned slightly towards the older man, body stiff with years of training in the navy. 

“Can I ask you something, sir?” This was a formality, as Iroh could tell Jee would just ask him anyway.

“Of course!” 

The acting captain hesitated slightly before speaking. “I don’t mean any disrespect, but I’m curious as to why you would write to me about  _ music night  _ of all things. I had assumed that you would have...other things on your mind.”

Iroh nodded. “Yes, I can see why that would be confusing to you.” He paused, pushing his plate a little further away so he’d have more room to put his arms. “And it’s true that there were more  _ pressing _ concerns, you could say, that were indeed occupying my mind. But one should never ponder for too long, or it distracts from the act of doing.” 

That wasn’t quite a proverb but Iroh enjoyed the commonly made face in response to them that covered Jee’s face. 

“All I can say is that during my time as a general, I learned the importance of crew moral, especially during a long assignment.”

(Iroh pushed away the thoughts of Ba Sing Se the wall the war his son _Lu Ten_ _gone dead too painful to think about right now_)

Perhaps he had stopped to collect his thoughts for a moment to long, as Jee was now looking at him with the barest hint of concern in his eyes, and he shifted just so on the bench that it made a sort of worried sound, if that was even possible.

The former crown prince plastered on his usual unassuming smile. He had other things to worry about. 

“Where was I,” he let out a slight cough into his sleeve. “Ah, yes. As I was saying, morale is important. I figured that tensions would be high and people would have questions, so I looked to remedy that.”

Jee still looked confused.

(or as confused as he can be, sometimes it’s better to look for what he’s not saying-when he’s not angry that man is a statue)

“And what led you to music night, sir?”

Iroh looked at his clasped hands, eyes crinkling in a bitter-sweet smile.

( _ C’mon, father! Having a music night would be fun! _ )

He sighed. “Oh, nothing much.”

( _ Plus, it’s been  _ _ forever _ _ since I’ve gotten to play the tsungi horn, and I need to show Kuzon I’m not a liar when I say I’m the best one there ever was _ )

“It just happened to be my favorite of many ideas I tried.”

( _ And if we teamed up, we’d be unstoppable! As long as we’re together we’ll never lose! _ (that’s what he’d thought he was wrong  _ foolish arrogant nieve _ ) _ ) _

Iroh shook away those thoughts and locked them tightly in the back of his mind. He couldn’t afford such painful memories when he had to look after the whole crew. And make sure his nephew lives long enough to be cared for. He turned back to Jee, thankful that there was no bending that allowed you to read someone’s mind.

“From what the kind doctor Osamu told me, it’s probably a good thing I did. I hear tensions have been high?”

Jee scowled down at his scroll. “Yeah, mostly a mixture of close quarters with unfamiliar faces and a slightly confusing situation we haven’t gotten briefed on.” Jee looked at Iroh out of the corner of his eyes, but didn’t press the issue, which Iroh was grateful for. “There have been a few scuffles but they were all quickly remedied. Nothing more that a couple of punches thrown and they were all surprisingly not on fire.” 

Iroh appreciated that fact. He didn’t think a fire duel would be the best thing for this ship at the moment.

“I’m sure everything will settle down soon! After all, 2 of the 3 problems will be fixed in the near future.” Iroh trapped Jee in another smile. “And I hope you would indulge an old man in a game of Pai Sho once we have the time?” 

Jee looked at Iroh with suspicion in his gaze. He’d never heard an offer for a game of Pai Sho sound so threatening before.

&&&&&

When Zuko woke up, he didn’t know where he was. All he knew was that his face felt like it was burning off(which it was it  _ had  _ but he didn’t know that), it was unbearably hot in the room, and the ground was rolling in circles.

His first thought was that earthbenders were attacking, but the rolling felt too familiar, like the rocking of the boat that took his family to Ember Island all those years ago. Waterbenders? Did they turn the palace into a giant boat?

Zuko wanted to just go check, but his body felt frozen. When he struggled with the lids over his eyes, only one opened. The other felt like it was being held shut by soggy, burnt fire flakes.

(don’t ask him why he knew what that felt like - it was Zula’s fault but no one believed him  _ no one ever believed him not even Mom and she’s- _ )

What he could see out of his one eye was blurry. He could make out a lot of red, so he had to still be in the Fire Nation. He should probably go help with the fact that the palace had been turned into a giant boat if his body would just  _ listen to him.  _

When he was finally able to muster enough strength to turn his head, the first thing the young (banished but it’s a secret not) prince saw was a tea set. A very familiar tea set.  _ Uncle.  _ Zuko’s worry evaporated out of him in an instant. If Uncle was here, nothing too bad could be happening. He was probably dealing with the waterbenders right now.

The second thing he saw were candles, and the candles had  _ fire  _ and it  _ burned burned burned make it stop please I’m sorry sorry father -  _ Zuko couldn’t make sense of the fear that flooded his body and he didn’t have enough energy to scream, but now he knew why it was so hot in this room, and he didn’t like it one bit, he needed to leave, get away from the flames  _ hot burning burning,  _ find uncle, anyone, anywhere but here.

Zuko less climbed and more flopped off of the bed. It didn’t make a difference to him, now he could see the  _ door _ . 

Through some sort of miracle, or perhaps the sheer stubbornness Zuko had always possessed but now fueled by fear, the eleven year old clambered to his feet and stumbled out the unlocked door, leaving the flames behind.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooooo
> 
> Sorry bout the angst, but it seemed fitting based on where/when they are in their journey right now.  
I'd like to credit the amazing MuffinLance for some of Jee's characterization, if you haven't checked them out yet DO IT!
> 
> And don't worry! We will be returning to our functional disaster Tamuki next chapter!  
Thanks for reading, see you next time!
> 
> (ps: join me on Tumblr, I never post anything but as long as you're not a porn blog I follow back, can't figure out how to link you so my username is: fangirlswilltakeovertheworld)


	5. A Strange Encounter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Drops chapter and runs*

“Prince Zuko?”

Tamuki stared at the person in front of him, not quite believing his eyes. His body was frozen, still poised and ready to fight. 

It didn’t look like the young prince had heard him. His back was angled towards the guard, and his hands seemed to be pulling on a…tapestry? Tamuki’s ears picked up the sound of faint mumblings coming from the prince’s direction.

The longer he stared, the more uncomfortable he felt about the prince’s condition, because damn, he did not look good. He was swaying on his feet a significant amount, even for a boat. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, probably because of the fever, and Tamuki could see sweat pouring down his body. The hands wrapped up in the tapestry were trembling, and to top it all off was the horrifying swath of bandages covering his left eye. 

Tamuki couldn’t help but wonder how a prince could get in such a state when they were supposedly some of the most protected people in the land. He had heard the rumors, of course, but he couldn’t imagine a father ever doing anything like this to their own son. Until General Iroh or the Fire Lord came out and said that’s what happened, Tamuki was going to hold those rumors to a grain of salt.

Unsure of what to do, he shifted his weight slightly, wondering if it was safe to approach the kid.

(and that’s what he was—a kid. It’s one thing to know it, but seeing it with his own two eyes was different)

He glanced over his shoulder, wondering if he should go get the general. He didn’t want to accidentally set the prince off and cause him more harm.

A loud ripping noise brought his attention back to the situation in front of him. It seemed Prince Zuko had been pulling hard enough to tear the tapestry in half. He looked at the torn tapestry with a look of appeasement, then mumbled something about water benders? Ok, Tamuki could officially no longer handle this.

Deciding that it was probably better to secure the prince first, (and going off of the bruise forming on his head, Tamuki could guess what the crashing sound had been earlier), Tamuki took a step forward. 

Dazed as he was, this caught the prince’s attention, and he turned his head to look at the approaching guard.

“Hey, . . . Buddy.”

(Agni above, he’s so bad with kids. How are you supposed to address an out-of-it prince child?)

Prince Zuko stared at him, eye glassy and unfocused, hand still holding the torn tapestry. Tamuki noted that it happened to be one of the only ones of Fire Lord Ozai on the ship, and wondered if he would have to pay for a new one.

“Are you okay?”

Again, there was no response from the boy.

Tamuki glanced over his shoulder, chewing on his bottom lip. He was really out of his comfort zone. The idea of going to get General Iroh was sounding more and more appealing, but leaving the prince alone in this state didn’t feel right.

The boat rocked wildly, seeming to hit a rough patch of waves. The dim lantern that was lighting the hallway blew out, leaving them in darkness.

Tamuki could hear the uneven shuffling of feet heading towards him. It seemed the young prince wasn’t affected by the lack of light. 

Tamuki lifted his hand and lit his palm with flames, hoping the prince wasn’t about to walk into another wall.

Once his eyes had adjusted, Tamuki looked over the prince and found no new bruises. He did see that the prince was frozen midstep, seemingly in fear. He looked around but the only thing in the hall other than the prince was him and the torn tapestry.

He increased the size and brightness of the fire in his hand, hoping to see what was making the prince tremble. When he did so, Prince Zuko shrieked and fell back onto his rear, arms coming up to cover his face. His mumblings had transformed into a stream of, “please–no–I’m sorry–Father,” and damn, those rumors might have held more weight to them than he’d thought.

Not wanting to distress the young lord any further, he snuffed out the flames with quick efficiency. After a few moments he could hear the mumblings peter out.

A sighed wooshed out of his chest, filled with releaf, until he heard the quiet sobs coming from the prince.

_ ‘Shit.’  _ There’s only one thing worse than dealing with a child, and that one thing is a crying child. Let it be known that Tamuki is  _ not good with kids. _

“Hey, kid, it’s okay. Don’t cry!”

(yeah, like telling him not to cry is going to do anything)

With his vision useless without any light, the guard carefully reached his hand out and felt around in the air. Feeling something that felt like hair and a head, he started patting it gently, hoping he wouldn’t make him cry any worse than he already was.

He kept patting the kid’s hair. He was still crying, but Tamuki thought that it was less than before. 

After a few moments of the awkward patting, Tamuki could hear footsteps coming towards them from down the hall.

_ ‘Thank Agni, someone who can help me.’ _

He waited for the footsteps to reach them, not wanting to yell and upset the prince any further. 

He watched the feet turn the corner, he looked up, and...damn. It was Atsuini. The last person he’d wanted to walk around that corner.

(oh great Agni, why have you forsaken me?) (but on the other hand he was carrying a lantern, so at least they could see now)

Atsuini jolted to a stop, wide eyes taking in the picture in front of him. He followed Tamuki’s arm down to the head it was on and gasped.

“Is that…?”

Tamuki sighed. “Yup.”

Atsuini walked forward, looking just as surprised as Tamuki had been when he saw the prince.

“What’s he doing out of bed? Last I heard he was still unconscious.”

Tamuki shrugged, not having an answer.

Atsuini looked like he was going to ask for more than a shrug, but sighed and let it go. He came closer, light on his feet as to not startle the boy. Like Tamuki had done, he looked over all of the injuries covering Prince Zuko.

Atsuini gestured to the forming bruise on the prince’s face. “Where did that come from? It looks fresh.”

Tamuki nodded in agreement.

“I think it is. I heard a crashing sound right before I found the prince. That was probably him walking into a wall.”

His...shipmate? rival? (they definitely weren’t friends anyway) nodded in agreement, before turning to give him an evil look.

“Actually, I bet you gave it to him.” Atsuini smirked at him. “You do have a habit of running into people.”

Tamuki sucked in a big breath and let it out slowly, resisting the urge to set the jerk on fire. 

“I  _ bumped  _ into you.  _ Bumped.  _ The deck was crowded and the waves were choppy. You’re the one who turned around and punched me for no reason.”

Atsuini glared at him and opened his mouth, looking like he wanted to keep arguing. Not wanting to get into that right now, Tamuki slapped his palm over his mouth, chuckling at the absolutely affronted expression covering Atsuini’s face.

“Look,” Tamuki sighed, “Can you just go and get Doctor Osamu or General Iroh? I don’t feel comfortable leaving the prince alone right now, and he probably shouldn’t be out of bed anyway.”

Atsuini looked like he was going to protest for a minute, but one look at the still sobbing prince had him caving. He nodded, and started heading back to the mess hall, hoping the General would still be there.

Tamuki felt a big rush of relief seeing Atsuini going to get help.

_ ‘Finally,’  _ he thought,  _ ‘someone who actually knows how to deal with kids can come and fix this.’  _

Now all he had to do was wait. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tamuki, you're taking over this fic! I swear, I didn't mean for him to play as big a role in this as he is.
> 
> Sorry for the long wait guys! My teachers have been giving me an insane amount of work to do, but I really wanted to get another chapter out there, so here you go!
> 
> I hope you guys liked it, and thank you all for reading! See you next time!


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